


Daddy Issues

by FlowerFly



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Family Secrets, Fix-It of Sorts, Gen, Lies, Not Stephen Strange Friendly, Not Tony Stark Friendly, Post-Canon, Teen Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-13
Updated: 2021-01-11
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:09:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22246120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlowerFly/pseuds/FlowerFly
Summary: Morgan Stark finds out about her dad.
Relationships: Happy Hogan & Morgan Stark, Happy Hogan/Pepper Potts, Harley Keener & Peter Parker & Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Morgan Stark & Darcy Lewis, Morgan Stark & Phil Coulson, Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe) & Stephen Strange, Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe) & Tony Stark, Pepper Potts & Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe)
Comments: 34
Kudos: 39





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [More Inconvenient Truths about Propping Tony Stark](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19143463) by [Gibbs_yeah](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gibbs_yeah/pseuds/Gibbs_yeah). 



Nineteen years old Morgan Stark sat next to her mother in the limo. Happy Hogan sat next to mom, still looking a bit uncomfortable sitting back here instead of behind the wheel. Mayor's party was as much business as pleasure for the CEO of Stark Industries and her husband knew after years' of practice how to play his role. 

Morgan had arrived from Wakanda last night. She was on a summer break from the national university of Wakanda. She had just finished her first doctorate. Engineering, of course. She was going to do two others (developmental biology and intergalactical trade) before taking her place as the CEO of Stark Industries at the age or 21 like her dad had done. Mom was busy with all her other firms, so she was happy to deliver her her father's legacy. And she had promised to mentor her. 

She was going to work at SI during the break (like she had done all other breaks from the age of 15) so this was a work night for her, too. And she loved it. 

The house was full of people. Morgan walked next to her mom and talked to old friends and new connections. (Happy disappeared somewhere early in the evening.) Carol and Rhodey from militia were there. And Nick Fury, Maria Hill and mom's good friend "uncle" Phil Coulson from SHIELD. And with them, unfortunately, Dr. Stephen Strange. 

Carol looked delighted when talking to mom. Rhodey was interested in how Morgan was doing. Fury was surprised of her future plans "following your dad's footsteps?" and Maria Hill said "you look just like your father." She heard that a lot, especially when wearing her favorite colors red and yellow. "You look like your father but act like your mother" was often said with a surprised but appreciating tone. She felt proud, mom was her greatest idol, and the most powerful woman in the world. 

Phil hugged her with "I'm glad you're back." Phil was the one she talked to when she missed home. Mom was always too busy and even though Morgan loved her stepfather almost as much as she had loved her dad (and still did the memory of him), he wasn't as interesting to talk to as Phil. "It's nice to see you, too, uncle." 

Dr. Strange shook her hand with "Good evening, Miss Stark." "It's Doctor Stark from now on" provoked a hint of smile on his face. 

Yes, meeting people was definitely work no matter how interesting it was and at some point of the evening she left her mother to look for Happy. She found him on a small quiet balcony sitting and chatting with Phil. 

"Bored of socializing?" her stepfather said. 

"Just taking a break." 

Both men gestured her to sit down on a chair between them. 

It was so nice to stay in a calmer environment for a moment.

"So how's it been at the university?" her favorite uncle asked. "Still having your boyfriends around?"

"Boyfriends? Which boyfriends?" Yeah, thanks for telling Happy. 

"No boyfriends. Just two guys hanging around." 

"You act like your father, after all?" Did Happy look a bit enthusiastic? Morgan looked back mockingly insulted, she knew about her father's playboy days before he was together with her mother and _she_ was nothing like _that_. Happy and Phil shared a quick glance she noticed but couldn't read.

"Or your mother?" Said the sly spy. 

"What do you mean by that?" Now she was genuinely insulted. She had emitted more than science in Wakanda; some rather conservative values, too. 

"Well, he" the spy said pointing at Happy "lived with your parents..." 

Happy looked small, shocked and sorry. "Morgan, when your mother was with your dad, your mother and I never…" She believed him. 

She turned angrily at Phil, who he had found an innocent face mask somewhere. 

"Did you really have two boyfriends?" Happy just couldn't let it go. 

"Like I said, no boyfriends!" _End of discussion._

"Girlfriends, then?" _Happy, please!_ "Why do you talk to him and not me about your boyfriends?" She knew he would like to talk with her more, but… yeah. 

"No!" Crushes totally didn't count. "And I tell him because he's the master spy and should by default keep his mouth shut and lie if somebody asks – contrary to you who tell everything to mom right away!"

"Sorry not keeping my mouth shut anymore, but I'm retired." Phil mocked of being sorry. 

"So now I can get all SHIELD's secrets from you?"

"Try me, what do you wanna know?"

Morgan just rolled her eyes and Phil and Happy looked at each other again like sharing some secret joke. 

"I'm going to tell mom you and SHIELD can't be trusted anymore," she said with a mock of disappointment and left.

Many hours, smiles, drinks and quite interesting discussions later Morgan was alone again. It was quite late, there weren't so many guests around anymore. She was looking for Happy, they were also leaving soon. Mom or Morgan could have called him, but Morgan wanted to tour the house once more. It was so beautiful place, old European styled architecture, which was inspired to look when she was used to Wakandan building and interior style.

At some quiet cabinet she heard behind the corner Stephen Strange complaining: "…and I'm still covering up for the damage he's done." and after that Maria Hill mentioning "Stark" and _something something_. 

Morgan revealed herself. "You sit here talking shit about my dad?" 

"I wasn't talking shit, I was stating _a fact_." Maria was quite drunk. "Tony Stark was a textbook example of a narcissistic person, a crazy megalomaniac and a danger for the universe."

"I'm telling mom you said that and she'll quit funding SHIELD." It sounded more childish than Morgan liked but she wasn't completely sober either. 

"You think she doesn't know that? She lived with him over fifteen years." 

"Really? How does a narcissistic person and a crazy megalomaniac spend six years as a stay-at-home dad while his wife takes care of the best tech company in the world."

"Wanting to beat his wife at parenting, the one and only thing he can anymore – and build weapons of mass destruction in secret at the same time." Agent Hill looked intolerably satisfied. 

"Stupid lies! My father stopped making weapons a long time before I was born."

"No. SI just stopped selling them." Maria said.

"Your father had this charming hobby to design weapons for his friends and secret organizations." Strange cut in.

"And for a minor he blackmailed and smuggled abroad to fight for him." Maria added.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Those were just crazy accusations. 

"Ask Peter Parker, he's still working for you." Maria hinted innocently. 

"How much do you really know about your father? Besides him being the best stay-at-home-dad ever?" Strange sounded intolerably concerned. 

"Do you _wanna_ know?" Maria asked. "Do you really wanna know what he was like and what he did? Because I can tell you. I can show you his SHIELD file."

Morgan hesitated. 

"It will destroy the happy image of your childhood, so it's understandable if you don't." Stephen Strange was so intolerably _fatherly_ concerned that she instantly made up her mind.

"Of course I wanna know the _truth_." She said it as mockingly as she could. 

"Good." Agent Hill tapped her wristwatch several times. "Here it comes." Morgan tapped her own watch and the file download bar was filled less than a second. "Ask your mother if something worries you." 

"So, here you are. Ask me what?" Yeah, mom found her. "Good night, Maria (mom hugged her!) and Stephen (she nodded)." 

"Have a good night, Dr. Stark", he called after her. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Morgan didn't know what to say. Or to think.

SHIELD's file of Tony Stark was long and precise. 

Morgan hadn't slept much during the night, but she looked put together as always when she walked to the kitchen in her mom's penthouse (when she moved back to the States, she should get her own apartment). Happy had made breakfast pancakes for Morgan and himself. Mom sipped coffee and went through her schedule for the day. 

Mom looked busy, but she always noticed what was going on around her. 

"What's wrong, Morguna?" 

Mom was also wit and determined and she loved to act fast. And sometimes Morgan wanted to think things through more before doing anything. 

"I'm just a bit tired from the party. " 

Morgan knew her mom didn't believe it she but let it be. Both of them pretended to focus on their schedules for a moment. Morgan drew in her breath and asked: 

"Mom, why do we finance SHIELD?" 

"Because they provide information, protection and security which would be more difficult to obtain other ways. As you know, your grandfather was one of the founders."

"Is their intel reliable?" 

"It's been useful enough so far. Why do you ask?" 

"They have a file on dad. Maria HIll gave it to me, I read it and it was full of lies!"

Pepper looked raised her right eyebrow. "What does it say?"

"That he had serious health and mental health problems like palladium poisoning and PTSD. That he was narcissistic and self-destructive and that he kept on designing weapons and selling the information 'as a consult'." 

"Yes, that's true", mom said nonchalantly. "And he survived a kidnap and several murder attempts."

"… and that _he_ kidnapped Peter Parker to Germany!"

"Well, if you want to know more about it, why don't you ask Peter?"

"And that he had killer drones around the world and gave Peter control over them!" 

"Yes. That was very unfortunate. I had to do a lot of work to prevent that PR catastrophe dragging SI stocks down." 

"PR catastrophe! Mom! These are serious issues! And you talk about PR and stock value!"

"Yes, because it's my job." 

_Are you serious?_ Morgan just stared at her, she couldn't get the words out. 

"Morguna, your dad did a lot of things. Yes, he was twisted and broken and didn't always have the best judgement. But he was driven and ambitious and a genius, too." 

"I remember him carrying me around and playing with me. He let me play with his toys. He was awesome dad! We talked a lot about him during these years. Why didn't you ever tell me about all these other sides of him?" She accused Happy, too. 

"Morgan…" He didn't know what to say. Mom always did: 

"We wanted you to remember him as his best." 

" _You_ wanted." 

"Yes, _I_ wanted. You idolized him like the rest of the world. You listened his lectures at night when you couldn't sleep. The memory of him gave you strength and made you smile. I didn't want to do anything that would to take that from you." 

"Yeah, nice story instead of truth, thanks mom, I know it's your job." 

Mom was like vibranium, her arrow didn't even made a scratch. "Speaking of work, what are you gonna do today?" 

She definitely _wasn't_ sulking. 

"I'm staying in the labs." 

Peter and Harley were already at work. 

"Hi, Mo."

"Boss Jr., weren't you supposed to be upstairs today?"

"Changed plans." 

She focused on her new design until Peter brought her lunch. Then she nailed him with her gaze.

"You knew my dad before I was born. How was he like?"

Peter looked a bit nervous. "Well, he was… intelligent… and creative. A genius, you know?"

Morgan rolled her eyes. "Yes, but how he was _as a person_?"

Peter smiled at her an shrugged. "I didn't know him… that well." 

"Did he kidnap you to Germany to fight against Captain America when you were fourteen? And did he give you access to mass murdering weapons some years later?"

"Yes! I mean no," Peter looked like he wanted to draw her head inside his turtleneck t-shirt "I mean _kidnap_ is such a harsh word here…" 

"But you couldn't say no without blowing your cover? And he lied to your aunt May."

"Well, yes, but I didn't really mind. I mean, it was an adventure and a honor to fight with him. He taught me a lot." 

"Like how to to command mass murdering drones?" 

"No, I mean I got glasses with access to the drones, but he didn't tell me how to use them." 

"He just gave you weapons without even showing how to use them?"

"Yeah, pretty much like that."

Morgan didn't know what to say. Or to think. 

Harley had been listening them quietly and he joined the discussion: 

"Listen, Boss Jr., if you wanna know about him, why don't you listen to yourself?"

"What do you mean?"

"Your old man had always an AI around and he recorded everything he said and did. The recordings must still be somewhere."

She took rest of the day off and drove to the lake house.


	3. Chapter 3

The road was growing grass. Mom had updated the security system, it needed her palm, iris and voice verification before the hidden gate opened. 

"Welcome home, Morgan", the AI said when she opened the door. "How can I help you?" the electric voice of Friday continued. 

She didn't answer. The house was much smaller than she remembered. She walked around remembering her dad – and Happy. She knew mom had been there with them, but she didn't have many memories of her. They had moved out some months after dad's death. 

She remembered running up and down the stairs to dad's workshop in the basement. She opened the door and walked down. Everything was filled with dust. 

"Friday; show me the index of dad's personal logs." 

"I'm not allowed to do that, Morgan." 

"Fine. Gerald; take over Friday. Copy everything and point out everything marked as confidential, super secret or something like that." 

Her AI Gerald was based on dad's algorithms. She had created the first version of Gerald at the age of ten. Since then, she it had grown and long ago surpassed her dad's creations. 

Soon she had her dad's files in front of her. 

She started watching. The holograms were quite high quality and the audios excellent. Dad had always used several cameras and microphones for recording. 

It hurt to see her dad so living and real. She felt like she was five again. She wanted to run for him and get lifted into his arms. 

Until she listened, really listened, what the man was saying. His voice was the same, but he didn't sound like her dad. 

She remember dad's snarky sense on humor, but this was different. The man was mean. He mocked people around him and pushed their boundaries. Maybe he just had a very bad day. She changed the file but it didn't get better. 

The worst ones were those with mom. He treated her like he didn't appreciated her at all. Like she wasn't a person but an extension of him. Like her only reason of existence was fulfill his wants and do things he didn't like to do himself. 

And even worse was, that mom allowed it! Why? How was it possible. The woman she had known as mother could't have tolerated that for a minute. They both were like strangers to her. 

She didn't understand. She thought of calling mom, but she felt she wasn't ready to hear the answer. She was sure mom had a very good but not necessarily very true one. 

She wanted to find out the truth herself. She kept on browsing. 

She didn't know many people in the files. Had they known that everything had been recorded? Likely not, she saw him lying many times. 

At least Happy was himself. He was kind and caring towards her dad like he was her and her mother: not intrusive, but always there when needed. Tony (she had started calling him Tony instead of dad at some point) ordered him around like he was a dog. She couldn't be mad at Happy, though. Happy was like that. He needed to be told what to do if it was complicated, but he also needed people to take care of. 

She must have fallen asleep on the sofa at some point since it was day again. She felt cold and found an old pullover. She put it on and continued watching. 

And then she found it. The hidden truth. The fact that made Stark Industries' glorious history, the beautiful PR story mom and her team had pictured a blatant lie. Dad designed weapons. 

Yes, it was part of the official history, that he had designed them for SI until he had been kidnapped in Afghanistan. The experience had changed him. He had become Ironman and changed the course of his enterprise. 

Except, he hadn't. SI may have become a general tech firm, but Tony Stark had continued his work as a weapons designer. And not just firearms for his suits or tactical weapons for the Avengers, but weapons of mass destruction for various organizations like SHIELD and later, Hydra. 

Tony Stark had tired to become the dictator of the world with technology able to kill anybody on his will. And he had dragged Peter into it. She ran to the bathroom and threw up. 

She kneeled shaking on the bathroom floor. This was the truth of her father: he had been a mean, lying, megalomaniac monster. 

Something even more sinister lurked behind: Mom had been by his side all time. She had watched him doing all he did and not tried to stop him. Instead, she had helped him by running his business. He had treated her awfully, but she had forgiven it all and shared his bed. How could she? Why? She knew the answer and it made her bitter. She had learned to respect her mother, but how could she after all this?

She started to watch recordings of her childhood. It gave her mixed feelings to see the very familiar man she didn't known at all carrying her around and playing with her. She saw herself following his work. It was a nice memory and it felt terrible now when she knew what he was really working on: murdering technology. But he treated her well. He was the perfect dad – as long as everything was okay with her. When she was hurt of needed a diaper changed, Tony gave her to Happy. 

Mom was mostly absent on these recordings. When she played with mom, Tony interrupted them and drew her playing with him. As if he tried to hinder her developing a relationship with her mom. One more reason to hate him even more! 

She played some really annoying scene and hit the air where his hologram were. It felt so good. 

The sun was setting again. She heard a knock on the door. 

Not many people could go through the security system. Yup, Coulson it was. "Hi Phil." 

"Morgan, are you alright?" 

"Yeah, I'm fine." His face screamed she really didn't look fine. Her knuckles were bleeding. She must had hit them somewhere. 

"What's going on? What are you doing here?" 

"I've been… thinking. Going through some stuff about my childhood. Did mother sent you to babysit me?" 

"You haven't answered any calls for five days! Yes, your mom and Happy – and Peter and Harley – are worried about you." 

Five days? Three, maximum. She invited him in. 

"There's been a lot to think about. I've watched Tony's old recordings. Did you know his AI recorded everything?" 

"Sure. I was able to pass his security systems couple of times." 

"Did you know he designed mass murdering weapons during his last years?" 

"Yes, luckily we found out about it before anything happened." 

"Yeah, and then you buried the secret with him! It wasn't in his SHIELD file. And mom revived his memory as a great genius and a philanthropist. But he was an evil man! A liar, a narcissistic who treated everybody around him as tools, as means for his ends and nothing more!" She wasn't ashamed that she was yelling – and crying – now. "What a fool I've been when I've believed that legend! And everybody says that I am like him!" 

She cried against his shoulder now. He kept her close like he used to when she was ten years old and he had started to hang around more with her family. 

"Morgan. Tony Stark was many things: he was a great genius – and a troubled man." 

"Troubled, indeed! Yeah, PTSD!" She had learned that on the records, too. "Why didn't he seek help for his troubles instead of throwing them on people close to him?" 

"Because of his narcissism and megalomaniac way of seeing himself, probably." 

"Yeah, great." One thing she hadn't thought before: "I've got half of his genes. What if I become narcissist too? What if something happens and I go nuts as well? Problems like this develop usually in the beginning of twenties if not teen years." She knew that much about psychiatry. 

The old agent kept his arm around her shoulder. "Don't worry about that. You won't." 

"How can you know? I must have inherited some of those genetic weaknesses!" 

"You haven't. Because he is not your biological father." 

"What? Who is it, then? Happy?" 

"No." 

"You! You are my real dad, aren't you? Of course you are!" Who else could it be? 

"Unfortunately not. I'd like to be, though. I would have been your mother's choice for the sperm donor. But Tony wanted a 'more intelligent man' like he said." 

"Who?" 

"Are you sure you wanna know? You may not like him…" 

"Tell me!!" 

"Your biological father is… Doctor Stephen Strange." 


	4. Chapter 4

Morgan drove back to the city and sneaked into the Tower. The private elevator took her to the penthouse. She didn't want to talk to anyone who could ask questions. Luckily Mom and Happy were abroad. 

She packed quickly. It was something she had learned at the age of six when she had traveled with Mom and Happy and staff including her private teacher. Now she had to take the second jet. 

Stephen Strange's London apartment was surprisingly small and messy. 

"What place is this?" She was angry, the man didn't deserve her politeness. 

"This is my home," Strange answered not taking an offense at all. 

"I thought you lived in the US – or around the world in those wizard hubs." 

"A place to live and a home are two totally different concepts." Well, that was true. Morgan wasn't sure where her home was. When she had studied in Wakanda she had longed the Tower but after coming back and finding out of all this, she didn't know anymore...

A short, limping man brought them tea. "This is John Watson, my partner." 

"Good evening, Miss Stark", the man said with a polite British accent. 

She greeted him, too, and he left without saying more. 

Morgan looked at Strange for a moment in silence. They hadn't spoken many words after she had found out, she had just asked when they could meet and he had invited her here. She looked around and breathed in the atmosphere before breaking the silence. 

"I found out", she said. 

"I thought so", He looked amused, a bit satisfied and she hated it. 

"Why?"

"Why not?"

"Because you hated him! And he hated you! How was this possible?"

"Well, I came to see your legal parents in the cabin..."

"Stop! I don't wanna know the details!" She was afraid she was going to hear about later. There had to be recordings of _everything_ , right? But the recordings didn't tell about people's thoughts. "I wanna know why? Why you did it?" She still couldn't say it out loud.

"Well… I wanted to help a friend in need…" She didn't buy it a bit. "He paid well, I needed the money."

She didn't want to ask, but: "How much?"

Morgan was born rich and used to big money. But what Stephen told her was a lot. Even for her D–Tony. She should confirm the sum from the recordings, but she believed him.

"Well, you haven't used that for this apartment." She wanted to mock him but it just seemed to amuse him.

"No, I gave most of it to the wizard community. And I like this place. It's nice to lay low from time to time." She sipped her tea. He continued: "I think your father wanted me because he wanted to boss your mother. She would have chosen the other guy."

"Phil Coulson."

"Him. Or even Happy. And he couldn't let her have it her way."

"So he chose you to irritate her." What she had found out about her f–Tony, yes, he could have done just that.

"I was in bed with her and I didn't let him watch." The man in front of her looked triumphant. It was degrading for her mother and she felt like she felt objectified herself, too. Like was just ball in some game she didn't quite understand and definitely didn't want to. But the question What kind of relationship did the three of them had at that time? lurked behind her mind. She pushed it away.

"Oh yeah, I surely wanted to know that." She let her anger show behind the sarcasm. Suddenly she understood her d– the man who had paid all that money to have her. "You know what, Strange (she would never call him dad), you are an a-s-s-h-o-l-e." She had never been an angry teenager. Luckily it wasn't too late now. "You are a stupid (she knew how to hurt if needed, she had learned that from Tony during the past week), narcissistic asshole."

Whatever hopes she had had for the meeting had gone. She took her purse and stood up. She had planned to stay in London over the weekend but now she wanted back home. She just wished she knew where her home was. Where was her true place was in the world?

"Morgan", the man shouted behind her. "I'm proud of you. I'm truly proud of you."

Yeah, right. _Fuck you._

Her driver waited outside. In the car, she called her pilot: "When are we ready to leave? I'm going to Wakanda as soon as possible."


	5. Mother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Morgan talks to Pepper.

Sunsets were always so fast in Wakanda. 

It was quiet at the campus, her classmates had gone spending time with their families during the break. Morgan had spent a week almost alone. She avoided answering calls from her mother and even from Happy and Phil. 

She watched the videos of her "dad" until she had had enough. She hated the man she had had her famous name from. 

The whole legacy was a big bad joke! And her life was one, too! 

She should have known what happens to people who miss Pepper Potts' calls. 

Morgan knew Mom was busy. But not too busy to clear her schedule and fly Wakanda to meet her daughter. She felt a bit satisfied with the case.

Especially when Mom, being the big name as she was, was of course invited to stay in the Royal Castle and spend time with The Royal Family. Morgan joined the meals, meetings, and other protocols like a proper heir of an empire, and she was treated like one, too. She felt a little guilty of how much she liked the part. 

The best part was, that she could avoid The Big Discussion at least for some days. 

But finally, Mom tucked her into the corner. They were in her small room in the campus. She and Mom sat on her chair, Happy sat on the chair nearby focused on rhinoceros riding competition on TV. 

"Were you ever going to tell me the truth, Mom?" 

"About your Dad being egoistic and unkind?"

"Unkind? He was a narcissistic asshole who abused everybody around him!"

"Yeah, I know. But he loved you and you loved him. You couldn't sleep without listening to his lectures when you were small, do you remember? (Of course, she did. She knew how she had learned so much so young age.) I wanted you to have good memories of him."

Yeah, she kind of understood. But she was still mad. "Yeah, thanks for lying, Mom." 

"I was going to tell him being HYDRA right after you taking The Title, just in case if it ever comes up. I did tremendous work to bury all the evidence, but it's true and some people in and out of SHIELD know about it. But you don't have to worry about any legal issues anymore." 

"How about Stephen Strange? And that Tony isn't my real father." 

"Well, I was going to tell about Stephen (how intolerably fondly Mom said that name!) someday (yeah, right!) but since you seemed to dislike him so much…"

"Yeah, he's a selfish asshole who thinks he's brighter than anybody else!"

"… so I didn't find a proper moment…. and you loved Tony…" 

"Oh, don't worry! He's less horrible than Tony Stark so I'd rather have him as my biological father than the crazy one I got my name from." Yes, it was mean. It was supposed to be. Happy glanced them, but she didn't mind. Let her stepfather know what she thought of her father and her non-father. 

"And about Extremis," her mother continued.

"About what?"

"The fact, that you most likely are _a genetically altered_ human,"

"I'm what? Altered by who? You let me be used as a lab rat for replicating The Serum? It had to be a lousy formula since I don't have any superpowers!" 

"You don't? How fast do your wounds heal? Or your broken bones? Have you ever burned yourself in the sun – or on fire?" 

Her rhinoceros riding accident (of which she hadn't told Mom, of course) had turned to be much less serious than anybody who had seen it could have dared to believe! Pure luck, she had thought. But now… And Mom had always forbidden her to play with fire. And she was the only white girl she knew who didn't need sun lotion. 

"Mom, what has been done to me? Who did it?"

Mom drew her close and hugged her. "Nobody did anything to you. You inherited your powers from me." 

"What? You have superpowers?" Well, yes, she kind of knew that, but _that kind of_ powers, too?

"Well, yes. I'm officially clean, the virus that caused the powers was removed. The effects stayed and I thought it might be possible that you had inherited them."

"But you didn't want to know for sure or register yourself or me." Yeah, she got it. The way _special_ humans were treated. The damn Accords her definitely-not-father had advocated.

"Did Tony know? About you still having powers?"

"No. I found out about them when I was pregnant and since it was evident how much he hated superpowered people, I didn't tell him." 

"He treated you terribly! Why did you marry him? Why did you stay with him?" That was The Big Question she had wanted to ask since she saw her not-dad in the videos. She was still afraid to hear the answer.

"Oh, Morgan…" her mother sighed. "I regretted choosing him the day you were born! But before, I was naive and stupid and dependent and totally charmed by his charisma."

"But the way he treated you! There wasn't any love, I've seen it myself! How could you tolerate all that?" 

"He charmed women in the sheets. Your mother included." When she turned her head, her stepfather was focused on the game with blank _I said nothing_ face on. 

Mom sighed. "In his good days, he gave me a lot. He challenged me, but encouraged me too, and taught me so I could grow professionally. With him I could reach higher than I would ever have dared to dream," her voice turned from dreamy and optimistic to darker "it lasted because I was useful to him. But when you came, he realized he wasn't the most important person in my life anymore. So he made sure, that you loved him most and me only second, far behind."

"He was good with people as long as it served his purposes." Once again Happy looked completely focused on TV. 

"Before him, I was a shy girl, unsure of myself and my place in the world, ready to serve any others and follow any orders. And now I am the visionary of the future, the richest and most powerful woman of our country and one of the greatest leaders of our century. I am mad at him for many things but I'm thankful of what he's given to me, not just business, but a bright, beautiful and ambitious daughter, too." 

She hugged her mom. She got the feeling, ambitious. How could she have thought that she could give up Stark Industries? 

"But Mom," she muffled to her mother's hair like a little girl, "were you really shy and unsure yourself? Ready to follow orders?" Not her mom. 

Mom nodded tears in her eyes.

"But why?" 

"Well, that's how girls were raised that way." 

"What?" 

"To be humble and put others' needs in front of your own?"

"Yeah, right! You're kidding me!" 

They talked all night long. Happy slept in her bed, she insisted. She and Mom shared the large chair. She let her head rest on her mother's shoulder just like when she was little. 

Mom told her stories of her childhood. She learned to know her the way she had never done before. 

Later, when they watched the sunrise together, Morgan asked: "Are you sure Tony really died?" 

"Yes, I am. I was there."

"In space? How did it happen?"

"No, not in space. He died in a hospital bed five days after." 

"And you're sure he really died?" 

"Yes, I am. I was there. I saw his heart giving up beating. It was terrible." Her mom tried to stop her tears. 

Morgan gave her a tissue and hugged her. But her ominous gut feeling didn't evade…


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Morgan has it all planned out.

Today was Morgan's big day. The day she turned 21. The day she opened her first Stark Expo, the event she had planned for over a year. The day her mother gave her her legacy. The day she became the CEO of Stark Industries. 

Mom stood in the middle of the stage. Morgan watched her from the shadows, Darcy Lewis, her personal assistant (and former nanny) on her side. Their watches beeped quietly. A yellow spot moved on the satellite map. They glanced at each other and nodded. 

Mom called her name and she stepped ahead, into the light. 

The applause sounded like thunder. The flashing lights were almost as bright as her smile. 

She started her very emotional speech. She was an adult now. She would take good care of her legacy. She would make honor to her name. 

She thanked her mom, her idol, and biggest inspiration. 

She thanked her father, Tony Stark. "It was so unfortunate, that I was able to spend such a short time with him", she pressed the small button on her watch, "but he has lived in my life on his videos and audios. I've learned so much from him and I'm forever thankful." 

Then she called Princess Shuri and Peter Parker on stage because engineers were superstars in SI. They cracked some jokes about the exhibition and got enormous applause again. 

She glanced at her watch again when walking out of the stage. A small "mission complete" mark flicked on the side. The main screen showed the SI market value development from the past hour. The graph had never been that high. 

She and Darcy smiled at each other like they shared a secret. They did. Several. 

Then more speeches at the dinner party of 500 guests. She smiled, focused on the present moment. Mom seemed relaxed sitting next to her, but Morgan knew better. 

Carol Danvers and Kamala Khan joined the Opening Ball pretty and polished as if they had used the whole day just for making themselves beautiful. Morgan asked _How is he?_ only with her eyes. 

"Alive, conscious", Carol started. "Tried to put up a fight", Kamala continued. "Locked in now", Carol finished. 

Morgan raised her eyebrow, smiled, and was whisked away by some very important person who wanted to talk to her. 

It was her party. She definitely had a party. She was a Stark after all. At least by name. 

She danced with mom, Darcy, Shuri, Peter, Harley, Carol, Happy, Phil, Stephen, and many others. She knew people kept an eye on her. There were rumors about her sexual preferences. She let them be. She was a Stark, after all. 

Mom left with Happy and Phil about three AM. "Good night Mom, I love you", Morgan said. She knew she wasn't going home. 

Mo, Darcy, and Carol left the party at 6 AM. They weren't going home either. 

Carol drove them to SHIELD headquarters. She let them in by blinking her eye. Morgan didn't tell that she had hacked the system a long time ago and she was able to get in by herself if she wanted to. She liked secrets. She had Darcy to share them with. 

The agent on guard didn't seem surprised at all to see three women in fancy long dresses. He just pointed them to go forward. 

"Wait, I wanna see the footage of my mom's visit first," Morgan asked. The guard looked puzzled. 

"It's okay," Carol (agent Danvers!) confirmed. 

"Mrs. Potts didn't go in, Miss Stark." It was Morgan's time to look puzzled. "She just looked at him through the glass wall and walked away. Mr. Hogan and Agent Coulson didn't go in either," he added. 

"Oh, then it's time for him to have his first visitor." 

The cell was larger than she had expected. A whole wall was one-way glass. She saw somebody sleeping in a bed.

"Where is his suit?" Her voice was as commanding as her mother's. She had definitely learned. 

"It's in our warehouse, Miss Stark." 

"It's a property of SI. Please bring it to me, Agent." This is how Peggy Carter would have said it! Carol nodded behind her back and the agent left his position. 

"I go alone," Morgan said. Suddenly she felt very weak and tired. 

He woke up with the sound of an opening door. 

He looked old, tired, and worn out. He looked like the pictures Darcy had taken. And he looked definitely like him. Her father was alive! 

_Why did you left us? Why did you left ME?_ She was four years again! She wanted to run to his arms and cry. 

She was 21 and her father had fooled her, her mother, most people in SHIELD, and the whole holy States of A. 

Her father had left them for another woman. 

Her father had tried to come back. 

"Morgan?" the man said with a raspy but very recognizable voice. 

"Hi, dad." A pair of dark eyes met another. "Did you really think you could be the star of Stark Expo again, to steal my show?"

"Morgan, I'm sorry..."

She had heard that before so many times on the videos. _Pepper, I'm sorry..._ Yeah, right. She wasn't gonna be fooled as mom had been!

"Bye, dad." She walked to the door. 

"Morgan! Morgan!" Her father stepped up, but she was faster and out of the room. 

"You can't leave me here!" she read from his lips through the glass. _You are dead_ , she mouthed back, silently and unable for him to see. 

"Let's go home," she told her minions (which Carol really wasn't but really was because she financed SHIELD). 

And for the record, she _definitely didn't_ cry her head on Darcy's lap in the backseat of Carol's car.


End file.
